The Hell Where Youth and Laughter Go
by Deathdefyingreality
Summary: ZADR. Too complicated to sum up, so if you really care, please read it.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER ZADR. If ya don't like it, don't read it. Characters © Jhonen Vasquez.

Dib grabbed his head and his body tensed as a wave of excruciating pain washed over him. 'Head-ache' didn't even begin to compare. His body convulsed, limbs twitching on the floor. Cold sweat ran down his forehead. He whispered a plea to God to stop the pain, his face set in a grimace. Zim kneeled by him, hands reaching out to try and quell Dib's thrashing. One hand pushed down on the human's chest, the other ran through Dib's hair. The alien spoke softly, continuously in Irken, desperately trying to calm the boy and distract him. He sighed, semi-relieved, when, inch by inch, Dib's body relaxed. "Zim?"  
Concerned ruby eyes stared into amber ones glazed over from pain.  
"Yes, Dib."  
The human whimpered pathetically. "It hurts…"  
"I know..." Zim broke off as Dib's body tensed again, switching back to Irken. Why they, humans, would do this to their own confounded the alien. To think Dib's father did this.  
Experimented on his own damn child.

Four Days Earlier

The doorbell rang, causing a disgruntled Zim to stare at the monitor for the door's security camera. The vile Dib human was there. Waiting. One of Zim's antennae lifted, the Irken version of a raised eyebrow. Why the hell didn't the human just walk in like always? Seven or so earth years had made Dib _very_ used to the security system. Grumbling, Zim exited the toilet and opened the door a crack.  
"What do you want, Dib?" He spit out the humans name but instead of answering, the boy shoved his way past Zim and collapsed face first on the couch. He buried his face into one of the horrid purple pillows that clashed miserably with the lime green furniture. Zim stood there tapping his foot, patience quickly wearing thin. His ULTIMATE plan was almost done and he really wanted to get back to its glorious DOOM.

"I repeat, Earth filth, what do you _want_?"

Dib mumbled into the pillow. Zim kicked him and was greeted by his own reflection when the boy turned to look at him. Damn mirrored sunglasses. He ripped them off Dib's face. Amber eyes glared at him but it was the discolouration around and beneath his left eye that caught Zim's attention. He poked the bruise hard making Dib recoil in pain.

"Sonofabitch Zim! Don't do that!"

"Why are you _here_, human? Go home." Dib's eyes narrowed into slits.

"This _happened_ at home, idiot, so there's really no point in going back there now is there?"

"Your father?" Zim inquired, strangely interested.

"Yes, my dad." Dib snorted in disgust. "I'm apparently just not good enough to be the son of The Professor Membrane." His voice changed to become a mockery of his fathers. "When are you going to study REAL SCIENCE and forget all of this paranormal nonsense?" He let out a hollow laugh. "Suffice it to say, Zim, I'm crashing here." Dib buried his face in the pillow again, curling into a ball. The alien glared at him with menacing DOOM. Then he sighed, aggravated, smacking his hand against his forehead and dragging it over his antennae. The filthy human seemed to have passed out.

"Computer!"

"Whaaat…?" A bored voice replied.

"Run a scan on the Dib monkey and repair his injuries." Zim then retreated to his base, taking the glasses he still held with him.

Dib's eyes opened groggily, then widened. He let out a startled yell and sat up. Waking to find large robot eyes mere centimeters from his was slightly disconcerting.

"Well well, Dib. Finally decide to join the conscious world did we?"

A green blob walked into his line of sight.

"Come on, Zim. You know I can't see you." He felt around for his glasses but came across nothing. Zim laughed, watching the pathetic creature's search. He placed the sunglasses on Dib's face, jumping when the boy shrieked.

"What the FUCK did you do to them? The lenses are clear!"

"I got rid of those damn reflectors…at least while your indoors."

Dib looked thoughtful. "Transition lenses?"

Zim cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Eh?"

"Nevermind. You've _ruined_ my outfit you stupid alien scum! My air of mystique is gone now! Why would you _do_ something like this?"

"Easy. They annoyed me. Plus, it's not good battle tactics if you can't see your opponent's eyes." Zim's voice was methodical and calm, surprising Dib. Who knew the irken actually possessed a smidgeon of tactical knowledge? The alien snapped out of it though, and leaned over, pressing on the bridge of Dib's glasses. They instantly darkened and mirrored.

"Oh…thanks. Hey wha-" Zim snatched the sunglasses and put them on then slid on the rest of his human disguise.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dib managed to sputter.

"The contacts itch. These work better, even with your horrible prescription." He handed over a spare pair to Dib. "Let's go, that pit you humans call High Skool awaits."

Lunch rolled around, a perfect example of how little life changed for those involved. Dib still sat with Gaz and Zim still sat alone. Sucking down an Irken beverage, he began to daydream. Earth was under his control, the Dib beaten, useless, as he, ZIM, reigned supreme! He was being named best of the Irken Elite and rewarded by the Tallest.

He sighed as the daydream shattered. Seven years. Seven miserable years he'd been stuck on this horrid little dirt ball of a planet. Zim never told Dib, but he had long ago given up any hope of the Armada coming. Oh, he knew the Tallest hated him. He had sat there for hours staring blankly at the fuzzy screen after they had finally forced it into his brain that he had been sent to Earth to die. He still had the scars as a reminder of the breakdown he'd experienced after. He managed to snap out of his reverie when Dib's fist slammed down on the table. Zim looked up, startled, into Dibs eyes. The boy's sunglasses had slipped down his nose. After chucking a cow juice carton at the human, Zim followed him wordlessly to class, unconsciously rubbing his wrists.

Class. Again another example of existence's pointlessness. Their class was still, essentially, the same. Zim and Dib still sat on opposite sides of the class; Ms. Bitters still screeched about DOOM. New building, same old crap. Zim stared at the clock. 2:34 pm. One minute to go. Come on…The bell rang. The alien shot up, desperate to be on his way. His plan was at a delicate stage. Ever pathetically 'hopeful', maybe this attempt would impress his Tallest.

Dib watched from his side of the room as Zim was brutally shoved out of the way of their fellow classmates rushing to the door like the lemmings they were. He and the alien were left alone in the room.

"Zim."

The invader spun around to look at his nemesis.

"What Dib monkey?"

Dib looked at the ground, scuffing his toes on the floor. He cleared his throat.

"Uh…yeah. Thanks for fixing my face."

"I fixed more than just your face, Dib. You seem to have a lot of these 'bruises' as you humans call them."

Dib's head hung, ashamed. For what, the irken really couldn't say.

"Anyways, thanks. I'll try not to burden you again." He sounded almost hurt as he shoved his way past Zim. He was halfway to the door when he heard it. So soft, Dib wasn't sure if heard it at all.

"It's never a _burden_ human."

Dib trudged his way up to his house and then to his room, closing the door behind him. He looked around. His walls, his desk, everything, was littered with evidence of his obsession in Zim and the paranormal. Plans to stop Zim, not that the alien didn't seem to be sabotaging his own plans lately. Dib sighed. He just didn't feel like obsessing today. The black haired teenager shrugged off his black and silver trenchcoat, his boots, and removed the modified sunglasses, collapsing on his bed when he had finished. He stared into space for god knows how long, not really thinking about anything. Life wasn't as painful that way. Dib shot up, surprised, as his door was kicked open. His little bitch of a sister, Gaz, glared at him from the doorway.

"Just making sure you were still alive." With that she turned and stomped into her room, slamming the door closed. Dib wandered downstairs, the doorbell ringing as he passed it. He opened it, taken aback to see Zim standing there. The alien entered without invitation. Dib closed the door behind him.

"Hello Zim. You can get out now."

"Oh shut up. I'm returning your human eyewear."

"Good." Dib glanced at the clock. His dad would be home soon. "Put them there", he gestured at a table, "and leave." He remembered the last time he had brought a friend home. His father had flipped out and it ended rather unpleasantly for Dib. He looked at the clock again, only this time Zim noticed.

"You in a hurry, stinkbeast?"

"Yes…no…you don't get it Zim. You have to leave. Now."

The alien studied the boy. Why was he so agitated? The doorknob turned. Panicking, Dib grabbed Zim's slim wrist and dragged him to a coat closet, shoving him inside. He whispered through the door.

"Stay in here. Please."

Zim watched through the slots in the door as Professor Membrane came into view. He looked on, curiously, as Dib seemed to back up a step. Membrane looked around the slightly disorganized living room.

"I thought I told you to clean up this mess today."

"I was busy, I forgot." The boy backed up again.

"After all I do for you and that sister of yours and you can't even clean!" His hand shot out and struck Dib across the face. Zim's eyes widened. Dib straightened, mumbling.

"What do you do for us, Dad?" Membrane grabbed him by the shirt and pulled Dib to him.

"What…did you say?" Each word lowered in volume. Dib grimaced, preparing for a blow, and answered.

"What do you do for us? You're never here; you don't pay attention to us, except for lately when I get in your way…"

He was stopped as he received a blow to the stomach. His dad let go of his shirt and Dib crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. Membrane crouched down, striking his son in the face again.

"I do EVERYTHING for you ungrateful brats! I work on things that you wouldn't even be able to comprehend! Not with all your fantasizing about Bigfoot and aliens! Don't you EVER question me!" He straightened and kicked the prone Dib in the ribs. The boy curled into a ball, enduring the pain until the kicks stopped. When he uncurled, he was immediately yanked to his feet by his father's fierce grip on his arm. Dib whimpered a little and tried to squint thought the bruise reforming around his eye was making it painfully difficult. His glasses lay on the floor and he couldn't see where the blows were coming from until it was too late. In an attempt not to cry out, he bit down hard on his lip until it bled. Membranes grip on his arm tightened to the point just short of breaking it. Dib squirmed, trying desperately to pull his arm free. His father twisted it more and increased his grip. Zim watched in horror from the closet, seeing his enemy pummeled on was not as enjoyable as he envisioned. He watched as pitiful tears slid down Dib's face, mingling with the blood seeping from his mouth. The boy was breathing raggedly. Zim winced when he heard the sickening snap of Dib's arm finally giving way. The human screamed in pain. Professor Membrane collapsed unconscious when Zim burst from the closet and lobbed the closest thing he could grab at him. It was a lamp. Zim then moved to the barely conscious Dib on the floor. His face was a mess of blood and tears and his right arm hung at a painful angle. Using the communicator in his Pak, Zim called for Gir's assistance. Seconds later, the little robot burst in. The alien picked up Dib's surprisingly light form and carried him to the door. When he turned to shut the door he saw Gaz standing there, staring. He sighed.

"I wouldn't stay here if I were you." Was all he said before he turned around, dumped Dib into the Voot cruiser Gir brought, and flew back to his base.

Once inside, he set the human down on an exam table in the medical part of his base. The repair system he had created for the days kids decided it would be fun to pick on the green kid, sprang into life, scanning the human for injuries. It's a good thing it's a weekend, thought Zim. This is going to take a while.


	2. Chapter 2

For two days Dib drifted in and out of a sedative induced sleep. When he fully woke up at the end of the second day it was to the nasty shock of having machines pull themselves out of his flesh, internal injuries fixed. He was also firmly strapped to the table. The black haired boy took in his surroundings blearily. The last thing he remembered was getting the crap kicked out of him. Where the hell was he?

His question was answered when a black gloved hand slipped his glasses on his nose and Zim came into focus. The irken was reading the progress readout on the screen abouve Dib, completely immersed, having put the humans glasses on him unconsciously. Zim jumped when he heard the boy speak, as lost in thought as he was.

"Where am I?"

"The medical unit in my base." Dib had the feeling Zim wasn't really paying attention.

"…Can I get up now?" The Irken read the screen again.

"Not yet. Give it another half hour to finish repairing your arm. You were really fucked up when I dragged you down here." He listed injuries on his fingers. "One complex fractured arm, four cracked ribs, two broken. Not to mention the myriad of bruises."

Dib closed his eyes. He had forgotten Zim had seen that lovely part of his life. He opened them and looked around again. Distracted again it took the alien a moment to process that the human was speaking again.

"Eh?"

"I _said_, is this how you fixed me before?"

"Oh. Something like it. This one I designed for me, so I wasn't sure if it'd even work on you."

Dib's eyes widened, glancing at the complex technology abouve him. "_You_ designed this?" Zim glared at him, annoyed by the implication that he was incompetent.

"Of course I did. I AM ZIM! Now if you'd just shut up…"

The irken trailed off, distracted by the screen again. What was it? He pondered, rereading the progress report again. In front of him was the result of the full body scan his computer had done on the human and it was causing some severe aggravation. The Dib monkey seemed healthy enough, if a bit dehydrated and physically strained. But that's not what was bothering Zim. There was something that wasn't matching up. He didn't know what it was. Something…_something _inside Dib was throwing off his readings. He stood there, contemplating, running possible ideas through his head when the earth creature interrupted once again.

"Zim. Ziiiiiim. Ziiiiiiiiiiimmmmmm."

Zim clenched his hands into fists, patience snapping. Incessant talking!

"WHAT DIB?"

"Is something wrong? You seem really…distracted."

Zim sighed in frustration and rubbed his forehead. Great. He had a headache now. He glanced at the screen for the zillionth time and decided to ignore Dib's question. "You can get up now." He touched the screen to save the data, and then had the restraints undone. After checking to see that the Dib could in fact move on his own, Zim stalked out of the room to go to his main computer. He could worry about the glitch in Dib's system later.

Dib sat up and watched Zim leave. He quickly followed. It would probably not be fun to get lost in the base. Who knew what the hell Zim had let escape over the years. As they entered together, Dib could plainly see that Zim had been working on something, evidenced by the Irken scrolling up the screen on several of the monitors. Gir sat on the floor playing with Mini Moose. He watched his nemesis slouch into his chair, typing speedily(I love that word), then checked the clock Zim had on the corner of one of the screens. It told both Irken time and Earth time.8:38 pm.

"Oh crap. It's already Friday night? How long was I out?"

The alien turned his head and looked at him, amused. "It's actually Sunday night, so about 50 hours, give or take a few."

Zim laughed at the Dib's expression of disbelief then turned back to his work. After a while he heard the stinkbeast walk over, then felt it when Dib leaned on his chair. He had the suspicion the human was trying to read over his shoulder. He sniggered. There was a reason he did everything in Irken. A few minutes passed in semi-companionable silence until Dib shifted, bored. Zim hissed when the earth monkey started to play with his antennae.

"Stop that!" He snapped.

"Stop what?"

" My antennae. Stop. They're overly sensitive to touch and it's distracting. Not to mention _annoying_. Don't you have something to _do_?" He could just hear the grin in Dib's voice when he replied,

"Nope."

Dib squeezed the tips of the antennae he held in his hand. Zim shrieked and writhed in his seat not liking the edge of pleasure that came with the pain.

"Let go! Dib, you motherfuckingpieceof…"

Needless to say, after being stuck on earth for the past seven years, Zim had picked up quite the impressive vocabulary. Dib listened, amazed, as the alien's curses degenerated into Irken. There seemed to be a lot more obscenities in Irken than English. Gir looked up from his playing, giggling.

"I don't think that one is possible, master…"

Laughing, Dib let go. He instantly regretted it when Zim swung his chair around, hitting at the knees and making him topple over. The alien got up angrily and leaned against his monitors managing to spit out through his rage, "Computer. Remove this _pest_."

Mechanic arms swooped from the ceiling and effectively dispelled Dib from the premises. Zim watched from his computer as Dib dusted himself off and wandered away. He sighed feeling depression settle on him once the human was out of sight. That was a little rash he supposed, and Dib did provide a convenient distraction from his work. He glared at the screen with the scrolling Irken then dejectedly turned it off. It's not like this plan was gonna work anyway. It's not like anyone cared if it did. He rested his head on the keyboard. What was the point anymore?

Dib brushed the dirt from his clothes and started to walk. Now where the hell was he supposed to go? He couldn't go home, not after Friday's incident. Fuck…then an idea hit him. Todd Casil. Squee, as everybody called him, was one of the few friends Dib had. He turned in the direction of house 779.

As Dib approached Todd's front door, he waved to a tall, thin, blue-haired man as he left the house next door.

"Hey, Nny."

The man grinned, making him seem deranged, and waved back. The sun glinted off of the knives sheathed on his wrists. Squee's front door opened then and Dib was greeted by a women wearing an apron that read "I Hate My Son". How true.

"Uh…hey, Mrs. Casil. Is Squee here?"

She looked blankly at him, the name registering after a few seconds. "TODD GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!" was followed by a rush of footsteps on stairs and the appearance of a boy about 16 or so. His hair was a mess of natural spikes that only slightly obscured the wide eyes beneath.

"Oh, hey Dib. Come on up."

Squee turned and Dib followed him to his room. Todd had moved upstairs after he got sick of Nny shattering his window. The homicidal maniac actually had to use the door now. Maniacal laughter greeted them as they walked in. Pepito, the Alter Boy of Doom himself, sat on the floor melting the heads off voodoo dolls of his and Squee's classmates.

Dib woke up the next morning disoriented. Where the hell… Oh that's right. Squee's house. He hadn't gone home after Zim kicked him out. Todd and Pepito were still sleeping, curled around each other. He laughed quietly. It never stopped to amuse him that the antichrist had become Squee's terror sponge after Shmee finally fell apart. He did a double take when he glanced at the clock. 9:30 am. Monday morning. Damn. Late again for school. Dib looked himself over. He would have to go home, which he dreaded, but he _really_ needed some clean clothes. He left a note for Squee thanking him for allowing him to spend the night. Todd and Pepito skipped enough skool, he didn't bother waking them. Why break the streak?

Dib slowly opened his front door, waiting for an ugly confrontation. He shut the door as quietly as possible and tiptoed to the stairs. He had seen his dad's car in the driveway. He was three stairs up when Professor Membrane's voice came from behind him.

"Hello, son."

Dib froze, his breathing restricted. His Dad sounded calm and almost…happy…to see him. He turned slowly to face his tormentor. Membrane waved a little.

"So, my poor crazy son, do you want to come to work with me? There's really no point in going to skool now."

Dib stepped up one stair. "Uh…thanks, Dad, but I _really_ would like to go to skool. I have…umm…tests and stuff today."

His father moved quick, grabbing Dib's arm and pulling. Hard. Dib tumble down the few steps and landed painfully on the floor. Professor Membrane leaned over so his face was inches from his son's. The was coming from behind his Dad, so Dib could clearly see his cold and hateful eyes through the goggles. He stood, terrified. That was his Dad for you; scary in a subtle way.

"Um. Alright then." Dib's voice wavered a bit. "Just let me go change." He fled up the stairs. It was a good thing the coat's neck was so tall on his father. Dib couldn't see the sinister smile that twisted his fathers face when he looked back at the top of the stairs.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Once he was safely in his room, Dib sagged against the closed door. Christ, he didn't want to have _anything_ to do with his Dad today. Normally he wouldn't mind skipping skool but…this wasn't going to be a field trip. Who knew if his father was over being knocked out? Dib stripped and, despite saying he was only going to change, he took a quick shower. As he pulled on clean clothes, a little sound of relief escaped him. The feeling of uncleanliness had been getting to him. He toweled off his hair, the characteristic spike popping up, defiantly. Dib could hear his dad moving around downstairs. Damn. The boy slowly descended the stairs, not entirely surprised to see his father waiting at the foot of them.

"Come on Son! This could be fun!" Professor Membrane called out, causing a feeling of Doom to settle on Dib. This would be the exact opposite of fun.

White hallways filled his vision as Dib walked through his Dad's workplace. His feeling of uneasiness increased every time someone they passed stopped and stared. Or worse; they avoided making eye contact with him at all. Father and son came to an empty examination room. Room 101. The surgical table seemed primed and ready for use, but there was no subject in sight. Dib struggled with the growing panic.

"So…Dad. What are you doing today? Curing cancer or something?"

Membrane looked at him, snapping on a pair of surgical gloves on and replied coldly.

"I did that last week. No, we're here to cure insanity."

Dib paled. "Uh…so how do you plan to do that?"

"By experimentation on a living subject, of course."

The human boy backed up and prepared himself to run. He'd read the true story of The Little Red Riding Hood and had a sinking suspicion as to where this was going. "Who are you using?" Membrane's coat slipped down and his son could see the sick smile.

"You."

Dib ran for his life. Shitshitshit! This was just wrong. He knew his dad hated him, "why" still eluded him, but still…this was _wrong._ He desperately sought an exit sign, finding nothing but endless white corridors. Soon Dib was completely lost, not knowing which way to go. Why the fucking hell did everything have to look the SAME! As he dashed around another corner, he found a wall of lab security waiting to pounce. He spun around to retreat only to find that more had snuck up behind him, cutting off his route of escape. Dib was dragged, kicking and screaming, to the surgical table. He was quickly restrained. Professor Membrane watched from nearby as his only son strained against the metal cuffs.

"Dad! What the hell is this? I'm not crazy and you know it!"

Membrane's response was to grab a syringe off of the equipment cart. It was filled with a clear liquid and Dib turned his head as it was jabbed mercilessly into his arm.

"All in the name of Science" was the last thing the soon-to-be lab rat heard before his body succumbed to the sedative.

Membrane watched his son lose against the drugs effect without any remorse. It served the little bastard right. He had seen the results of Dib's IQ test when the skool had sent it home with the boy's report card. 175. Twenty-five points higher than his fathers. And what did he waste it on! Chasing aliens! How _dare_ the ungrateful brat be smarter than The Professor Membrane and then rub it in his face by _not_ doing what was expected of him!

Membrane's hands shook as he grabbed the scalpel. He took a moment to calm himself. His anger might cause him to make a mistake. That simply wasn't allowed. When he looked down at the still form of Dib, his ire sparked again. But that would soon change. The microchip he was placing in Dib's brain would do two things. It would not only give him readout of brain activity, it would also, with the signal, release little parasitic chips to destroy the nervous system. It would kill his son bit by agonizing bit.

Membrane made the first incision humming the funeral march to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Dib drifted back to consciousness as the sedatives wore off. Still slightly out of it, he didn't think much of the sensation he was feeling at first. Then, as the world around him came into clearer focus, he began to question the sensation of someone touching his head. More like…someone was touching the inside of his head. Reality and logic returned in a cruel flash; Dib's eyes shot open and his body stiffened. Someone was poking around _in his head_. Vaguely he heard the voice of one of his father female assistants.

"Professor, sir, he's coming out of it. Shouldn't you stop?" She seemed genuinely concerned. His father's cold response chilled Dib to the bone.

"No. Not until I'm done with the implant. Just put him under again and ready the memory modifier." Another jab to the arm and, blissfully, Dib was sucked back into darkness.

Zim sat in class, alternating between staring at the clock and at the door. Where was the Dib human? The only thing the purple haired female, Gaz, had been able to tell him was that she had no idea where her brother was, nor did she care. Which meant the boy hadn't gone home. He glanced at the clock again; Skool was almost out. He scratched at the healing scars on his wrists as his thoughts returned to his nemesis. Maybe the human was planning something? No. That couldn't be right…and that stupid glitch in Dib's system. What _was_ that anyways? It was almost as if something was destroying the human from the inside out…_Where the hell was he!_ Wetness slid down Zim's arm. He glanced down and cursed extensively when he realized that he had been scratching his wrists for a while. The scars had reopened under his gloves and now his blood was seeping down his arms. Using his shirt to stanch the flow, he walked out of class without a word to anyone and set off across town. Maybe the weird earth monkey who was Dib's friend would know where he was. Squee should be out of class by the time he got there.

Todd was, in fact, out of class. Granted, he and Pepito had only managed to show up for the last hour…but hey. They _were_ in class, were they not? That's all the school cared about. Not that it mattered much since Squee taught himself at home. After that Columbus incident, he had lost all faith in the educational system. Well, that and the fact that Pepito was a horrible influence. He smiled and leaned on a tree outside his skool, waiting for the Antichrist to make his appearance.

Pepito walked out of the front skool entrance and spotted Squee. He was halfway through a wave when the other boy was tackled by a green blur. Chuckling at Zim's clumsiness, he made his way over to the ranting alien and the bewildered Todd the Irken sat on.

"Where is he!" I know the earth creature didn't go home so that leaves you. _Where _is the Dib!"

Pepito picked Zim off of Todd, and then helped his friend to his feet. Squee brushed himself off. Damn. Zim had pushed him into a mud puddle. Wait…did he say Dib was missing? What?

"Ummm, I haven't seen Dib since yesterday. He left me a note this morning saying he was going home. He didn't go to skool?"

Zim ground his teeth, annoyed that the human couldn't figure that out for himself. "Obviously not." He sneered, only to be whapped in the back of the head by Pepito. The alter boy of doom (wow that's long to type) muttered in Spanish that it wasn't Todd's fault that he couldn't read the Irken's thoughts. Zim didn't hear, however (not that he would have understood it anyhow), a horrid thought plaguing him. He went home to his father…No.

Squee watched the alien turn a sickly shade of palest green. "Zim?" No response. "Zim!" The Irken glanced up at him, scratching at his wrists for some odd reason. "Zim, what's wrong?" Squee had a hold of Zim's shoulders and was shaking him slightly. The distracted invader just vaguely responded with a "Yeah, sure." His frown and eyes gave evidence to his worried state. He pulled himself away from Todd. Damnitt. Dib shouldn't have gone home…he shouldn't have.

Pepito watched as purple blood slid down Zim's arms once again. He grabbed a roll of gauze bandages out of Squee's ever present first aid kit he kept in his backpack. He handed them to Zim who only glanced down at what was being given to him before rushing off in the direction of Dib's house. The antichrist and Squee stared after him.

"You think Dib is okay? I mean, we really should help Zim find him, don't you think?" Squee gnawed on his bottom lip, worried.

"Nah. Those two'll be fine, they always are. ((He speaks!)) If anything, Nny should be home and he likes Dib. He'd probably be willing to play the Calvary if needed. Let's go." Pepito grabbed Squee's hand and tugged him in the opposite direction of where Zim had gone. Todd sighed, still worried.

"You're probably right."

Across town, Dib was waking up…and about to prove Pepito wrong. He was going to be anything but fine.


	5. Chapter 5

Zim made a frantic trek to Dib's house after he left Squee and Pepito, running as though his very existence was on the line. He skidded to a halt in front of his enemy's house and scanned the premises. What was the best way to gain access to the house? The boy's father appeared to not be home but he could see Gaz through the window watching TV. That made walking through the front door a definite no. How else to get in…His eyes rested on the window of his counter part's bedroom. There seemed to be no movement from within. Good. Zim's spider legs unfolded from his pak and he scaled the wall with ease, only to experience a road block of sorts when he reached the before mentioned window. Count on Dib to be paranoid enough to lock his windows. The irken smiled as a laser his pak contained sliced a neat hole in the glass big enough for him to slide through. As quietly as possible, Zim entered what was considered enemy territory. He glanced around the room, noting the mess of cables and wires spilling across Dib's floor from his computer. The kid had to have every piece of human computer technology available it seemed. Zim smiled again. It figured. Wait…was that his lab on one of those monitors? Still amused, Zim made a mental note to destroy that little camera when he returned to his base. His smile faded, however, when his gaze landed on the human's bed. He could just barely see a certain trademark spike of hair abouve the covers. Red eyes narrowed into mere slits when he confirmed that it was, in fact, the Dib sleeping and not some puppet. SLEEPING while he, Zim, had been…curious… about the humans condition. He couldn't bring himself to admit he had been worried about the inferior being. He moved to poke Dib as hard as he could when the boy's body twitched. The human started to almost writhe. It was as if he were fighting something. Fascinated, the ex-Irken invader watched.

Dib battled against the unconscious state he was in. His mind was yelling at him, trying to convince the boy that this was no time to sleep. Why it wanted Dib up, it couldn't be sure but it knew something was wrong. The boy fought it all the way. Dib did, finally manage to wake up. Unconsciously, he reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his glasses. After he felt them rest on his nose, he opened his eyes. Still suffering the effects of sleep, it took him a minute to fully register what he was seeing; A VERY irate, undisguised, Zim shooting daggers at him with his eyes and tapping his foot. The irken had his arms crossed as well. Dib ignored him a minute. Where was he again? A quick glance around the room confirmed that he was in his room.

"How'd I get here?" He quietly asked, not really talking to Zim. The alien responded anyways.

"_What?_" Zim all but shrieked. Dib winced as a sharp pain shot through his head. Apparently that was the wrong question to ask. He sat up, giving the alien a nice view of his shirtless, scar riddled chest, and ran his hand through his hair. Still not really talking to Zim he rambled.

"I remember coming home…Dad asked if I wanted to go to work with him. What next? Oh yeah, I changed clothes…" He broke off, staring into space. Zim continued to tap his foot impatiently. He ground his teeth when the human still didn't acknowledge him.

"Well?" He growled, incredibly annoyed. Dib made eye contact.

"Well, what?"

"Where were you today?" Zim inwardly groaned. He sounded like one of those moms on the old TV shows Gir always watched. Dib stared at him like he had grown a second head and looked as if he were ready to spit out some smart aleck response. But the boy's gaze shifted inward and slowly the look of sarcasm melted into one of lost confusion.

"I don't…" When his voice faded, Zim cut in.

"You don't what?" The alien's voice dripped with condescension.

"I don't know, alright?" The boy snapped at him, agitated. "I came home, came up here, changed my clothes, then BAM! Nothing but a frickin' black spot. I have no memory of the past," he looked at his clock and did the math, "shit. Six hours."

Dib glared, frustrated, at Zim and then at the monitors on his desk. The surveillance cameras he had rigged to tape if the boundaries of his room were crossed by someone besides himself had kicked on. Without thinking about it, he checked all entrances to his bedroom. The window. Well, that made sense. He had briefly wondered how Zim got in.

"Hey Zim. You do realize you're being taped right?" The irken blinked at the sudden subject change. Then blinked again before answering.

"So?"

"So? That's all you can say? You're standing, undisguised, in a room chalk full of spy equipment. Can you say 'exposure'?" Zim just stared at him and weighed the odds in his head.

"You wouldn't. You like playing our little game too much to end it now." Dib winced again. Not only from pain this time, but because Zim was right. Huh. Scary thought with even scarier implications. He was saved, blissfully, from having to think too hard about that when the downfall of human civilization flopped down onto his bed next to him.

"You really don't remember today?"

"No, Zim. I really don't." Another wince of pain. Damn. He was feeling the beginnings of a really bad headache. Together the arch nemesis' lay, sprawled, on Dib's bed, mere inches from making contact. Both retreated into their own thoughts as the silence increased. Dib gnawed on his lower lip, trying to come up with a memory, any memory, from the day while Zim, his antennae twitching like mad, tried to guess the cause of the boy's blackout. The glitch, maybe? Hesitantly, he broke the silence in the room.

"Hey. Earth monkey." He paused; waiting for confirmation that Dib was actually listening, then continued when he heard a "hmm?"

"The other day…when I fixed your face. There was something I-" The human cut him off with a quiet sound of pain. Dib rubbed his forehead, face scrunched up.

"Zim. In the bathroom, by the sink, there's a bottle of valium. Can you go grab me a few?"

The alien did and then stood by the bed, watching, as Dib downed three pills with no water. One could knock a human out. Three was borderline overdosing. He came to a startling conclusion.

"You're addicted, aren't you?" Dib's head snapped up, angrily.

"I am NOT. I'm immune is the problem. I mean, come on, with everybody on the planet plus one extraterrestrial trying to kick my ass every time I turn around there have been more than a few occasions I've needed it. Back off." ((Gee, bitter much there Dib?)) Zim looked away and moved to the other side of the room. He felt the guilt worming its way through him. He could take credit for over half of all the scars Dib had. His attention was recaptured by the sound of the human boy stumbling out of bed. He spun, propelling himself across the room via spider legs and caught Dib mid fall.

"What's wrong with you now?" Dib shook his head as if trying to clear it and attempted to steady himself against the Irken.

"I don't know. All of a sudden I got really dizzy and got a massive headache. I can't…see straight. Just really lightheaded and kind of fuzzy." The boy came to a realization and decided to state the obvious.

"I think I have a fever." Heh. How's that for brilliant deductions, Sherlock? Zim moved closer to the shirtless Dib, trying to support the human's weight without falling over. They stood like that, less than two inches between them, for what seemed like an eternity until the pale human shifted and rested his forehead against Zim's. Dib faded fast; succumbing to the fever. When he spoke, his voice came out slow and slightly dreamy and the Irken could see, before Dib closed his eyes, that they were glazed as well.

"You feel nice." The boy moved his hands to touch the bare skin on the alien's face, eyes still closed, enjoying the cool temperature and smooth texture of Zim's skin against his own hot and fevered one. Zim stood, petrified, as Dib's finger tips brushed his cheek.

"Dib!" he managed to squeak. Damnitt. He was not going to blush just because that…that…_human _touched him. Zim attempted to make Dib focus on him, but when the boy noticed what his supposed enemy was doing, he merely grinned. Then, for the shock value that all fever victims seem to go for; he flicked his tongue across Zim's face, tracing a path from the invader's cheek to the corner of his mouth. The Irken gasped, giving Dib the opportunity he was waiting for; he kissed him. Zim's eyes widened and he stumbled back into the edge of Dib's bed. Before his brain could fully register what was happening, he was pinned under the other boy, returning the kiss and arching his back as Dib's hands pushed up his shirt and slid across his chest. His own hands weren't idle either, as they ran over the scarred flesh on the other's torso then lower to pull on Dib's pants. In response, the human pulled him closer; his mouth leaving a wet trail as he left the alien's to explore the rest of Zim's body. When he reached on Zim where a human's navel would be and started to move even lower, he felt the Irken's finger tips dig into his shoulder and he was pulled up to meet the other's mouth once more. A quiet moan slipped out of Zim's mouth only to be silenced by Dib's. When the kiss broke, the two of them stared at each other, breathing heavily. Zim sighed.

"This is wrong. You're sick and we're 'making out'." Dib's face split into a wide grin and he lowered himself so his mouth was millimeters from Zim's.

"Well, you know. They say you're supposed to sweat out a fever and this is as good a way as-" He broke off, wincing in pain. He then shifted so he was sitting on his bed instead of leaning over Zim and massaged his temples. Zim sat up as well, a look of concern in his eyes.

"Dib? What's-" Then human stiffened in pain. Enemy or not, Zim forced him to lie down but soon after he watched in horror as Dib began to writhe in agony. He could do nothing.

Deep in the bowels of Membrane Labs, the boy's father watched the whole ordeal from Dib's eyes, thanks to the chip he had earlier implanted. His hand released the grip on the activation switch and he smiled. The fun had just begun.


	6. Chapter 6

"Dib! Dib…talk to me. What's wrong with you?" Zim shook the writhing human but received no answer except the feeling of Dib's fingers fisting in the Irken's shirt. What to do, what to do. Desperate, he looked around for anything that might ease whatever was ailing his supposed enemy. Nothing he saw in the paranormal investigator's room inspired him. Maybe his pak then. Spider legs, his life lines, communicator, irken pain killers for those days he got picked on…Zim smacked himself in the forehead. Those might work, but the Dib worm was human; who knew what alien medicine would do to him? He debated with himself internally for what seemed like forever; Dib growing worse by the second. A pathetic whimper broke Zim's concentration and made him decide to damn caution to hell. A syringe popped out of his pak and he guided it to the human boy's neck. With a quick motion he slid the needle into a vein and injected a softly glowing purple liquid into Dib's bloodstream. Several minutes passed before they noticeably took effect and the boy's thrashing quieted. Still conscious, Dib opened his eyes when he was hauled up by the surprisingly strong Zim. With the Irken's aid, he managed to make it down the stairs and into the living room where the oblivious Gaz sat; playing the latest in whatever series she was on now. He tried to call out to his sister for possible aid but only received a disgruntled and violent threat about what would happen to him should he interrupt her again.

When they got outside, Dib still leaning heavily on Zim, the irken looked around. Now what? He needed to get the human to his base, but waiting for Gir to arrive with the cruiser would take too long. He looked over at the semi-conscious Dib.

"Hey, Dib-human. You got a car or something around here?" Dib smiled before replying.

"Nope. I'll I've got is," he paused for a second, trying to think. "My baby. All I have is my baby." Zim squinted, confused.

"You have a baby? What does that have to do with a _car_?"

Dib cracked a smile again. "Not a child, you stupid alien, my motorcycle…my baby." He pushed a button on the wall of the garage which caused the door to open. Next to the broken remains of Tak's ship (which, for some odd reason, he was still emotionally attached to) was a midnight blue Ninja, with black and silver tribal detailing. Zim's mouth dropped open and he damn near dropped Dib too. It had to be the prettiest piece of machinery he had ever seen. Aesthetics was one thing Irkens lacked when it came to vehicles. He left Dib leaning on the garage door opening and went to check it out. Gloved hands slid over the smooth metal; an involuntary sigh of joy escaped him. He snapped out of his marveling when he heard Dib's pained laugh from where the boy still leaned against the structure. Embarrassed, Zim ignored him and pushed the bike out into the driveway. From there he helped the human onto the back. Just in case the medication wore off, the ex-invader sat in front of him and inverted his spider legs to wrap around the boy. He shuddered when Dib leaned in close and wrapped his arms around Zim's waist.

"You _do_ know how to drive one of these, right? I can trust you to _not_ damage her?"

The alien nodded, having taken it upon himself to figure out human transportation. (Not that he learned well, because that's just the way Zim is but…at least he had a vague idea.) Dib yawned. "Then I think I'm going to pass out now." And he did, burying his face into the Irken's back like a little kid. Zim shook his head. Humans. He turned the ignition and revved the engine, pulling out of the driveway like a bat outta hell. Reckless as always, he sped up to 140mph and whipped around the other vehicles on the road; running about 10 stoplights on the way. He sped through the streets, the sleeping human pressed tightly against his back. The alien could feel Dib's head resting on his shoulder around the Pak. A car's horn blared and Zim barely missed a head on collision. There! His base! He swerved into the lawn and came to a screeching halt inches from crashing into the stoop. Close call.

Zim jumped when the nearest gnome (about a foot away) fired at the bike and its riders. What the…He smacked his forehead; they were programmed to attack Dib no questions asked. They needed to get inside quick; the other gnomes were taking aim. Zim retracted his spider legs that were wrapped around the terran then quickly jumped off to catch him when he slumped over. However, the abrupt motion made the bike topple over onto the pointy hat of the closest gnome. He heard a screech followed by the explosion of said gnome. The other robotic menaces halted in firing and returned to their inactive states. Zim blinked then just stared. That was…odd. Stupid wiring must be getting faulty. Either that or Gir spilled soda on something again. He shrugged, set Dib on the ground and picked up the bike, setting its kickstand. The irken surveyed the damage caused by landing on the explodey gnome. Besides the soot scorch marks, which he managed to wipe off, there was only a tiny dent that was barely visible. Well so much for not hurting Dib's "Baby". He hoped the human wouldn't notice. Hey, speaking of "kick"stands…Zim nudged the still form of Dib with his foot. There was no way the one and only ZIM was going to haul some pathetically stupid human all the way down to the medical bay. No matter how cute (and good kisser) he was.

Dib woke up to a foot in the ribs. He immediately checked himself out mentally. Besides the obvious stinging in the ribcage, he found no major pain anywhere else. He felt clearer too, not quite so feverish. No medication he knew of could do all that. He gaped at the looming Zim.

"You look like a fish, Dib."

He closed his mouth. "What the hell did you give me Zim? I feel…better." He grabbed the offered hand and was hoisted up by a slightly sheepish alien.

"Pain killers." He wouldn't meet Dib's eyes. Who knew how the boy would react to being told some glowing alien goo was running through his veins? Luckily the human didn't press him and together they walked into the hideous green house. Zim watched as Dib moved towards the service elevator in the closet.

"Where are you going?"

Dib spun around. "To your base. Duh." Zim scoffed at him.

"Pfft…if you were supplies you _might_ take that entrance, but I can't imagine why. I'm surprised you didn't get lost or killed getting in from that direction. This way is quicker." He grabbed Dib's wrist and pulled him into the kitchen then shoved him onto the deluxe toilet (had to get a new one when he grew taller) and flushed him. A mad giggle escaped him then when he saw the human's expression.

Several minutes later in the bases medical center a rather heated argument broke out on whether or not Zim was allowed to operate on Dib should the opportunity arise.

"Absolutely not! I don't trust you! I could wake up with a third arm, or...or..._wings_ or something! I'm still debating on whether not I even want you to run a freaking diagnostic scan on me!"

Zim ground his teeth (though the wing idea intrigued him). "I've done it before you stupid human! Nothing BAD happened to you then, did it!" He lunged at Dib and pinned him to the floor; his gloved claws digging into the still shirtless boy's skin. He straddled the boy's chest and leaned over so their faces were mere centimeters apart.

"There is OBVIOUSLY _something_ wrong with you Dib." He dug his claws in deeper, drawing a gasp from the human. Zim briefly kissed him. "I intend to figure out WHAT it is and FIX it even if I have to knock you up to get to that point."

Dib stared and then lost it. He twisted under Zim laughing hard. The irken poked him. "_What_ is so amusing worm baby? You don't think I'll do it?"

Dib's response was to laugh harder. "I…don't think," he gasped for air, "you CAN, Zim."

The alien poked harder. "Why _not_?"

The human managed to calm down enough to explain. "You can't 'knock me up' as you so eloquently put it." More giggling laughter. "You can 'knock me out' but you can't 'knock me up'. I'm a guy. You're a guy." At the alien's still slightly confused expression he elaborated further. "Oh come on, Zim. You took sex Ed with me. Tell me you paid attention at least one day. If one of us was a girl we might have come close to that earlier." A mischievous grin lit up his face. "But if you were to truly knock me up, you'd have to operate on me-"

Dib broke off and stared into space as memory of his day returned to the fullest extent. All of it ran before his eyes. Coming home, going to the labs, his dad…no. His father, his DAD, couldn't have really…

"My dad...Zim, he…"

Zim peered at him, the human's eyes held a far away look.

"He what?"

Dib snapped back to reality extremely pale and sick looking.

"He…experimented on me." Zim had to lean closer in order for him to hear the broken whisper. "I remember now. I woke up on an operating table with him putting something in my head. Like a chip or something. I think that's what caused the attack earlier. You win Zim. You gotta get it out." The alien stared at him, not answering as he digested the information. The lack of response caused a frightened Dib to twist his hands into the fabric of the irkens shirt. "Please. I can feel another attack coming." As if to prove his point, a jab of pain lanced through his head. The irken finally nodded, the pleading look in Dib's eyes hurt him for some strange reason. He moved off the human and helped him to his feet. The boy started to walk on his own but was driven to his knees as the final wall of medication gave way and the proverbial dam broke, washing him in immense pain. He fell to the floor and was once again pinned by Zim's body. He grabbed the alien's arms tightly, needing an outlet, any outlet, for some of the pain.

Briefly Zim questioned the short lifetime of the painkillers, but thrust that thought to the back of his mind as he tried to calm the suddenly convulsing and writhing human. With one hand always on Dib's chest, he used his teeth to tear his gloves off so he could run his naturally cooler skin over the human's feverish forehead and through his hair. If Dib didn't survive this, he was going to make sure that Professor Membrane didn't either. Wait, correct that. Even if Dib did survive Membrane was still going to burn.

The terran continued to thrash despite Zim's attempts. It calmed slightly when he tried to focus on the smooth irken that was spilling out of the alien's mouth and he later would vaguely remember exchanging a few words. When his vision cleared for a few precious seconds, the expression on Zim's face surprised him. He looked like he was ready to tear someone limb from limb. The moment passed however and all thoughts he had disappeared.

Zim battled with Dib's convulsions and tried to inject him with the glowing analgesic but it was knocked from his hand and went skittering across the floor. He ground his teeth, frustrated as his concentration broke. A spider leg slid out and he maneuvered it so it slid the syringe back to him. Making sure he had a tight grip on it this time, he ruthlessly crushed Dib's arms to his chest to prevent another such accident. The boy's head still moved too quickly for him to get a clear shot in so he embedded two spider legs into the ground on either side, narrowly missing impaling the human he was trying to save. With torso movement ceased, Zim buried the needle in Dib's neck, upping the dosage from before and praying to whatever god might look out for the boy, that he would stay quiet long enough for Zim to fix him. He smiled tightly when the drugs took affect and Dib slipped into unconsciousness. Now…to get started.

Membrane punched a hole through one of the monitors. That stupid boy actually figured out what happened to him. Not only that, but he was becoming very frustrated with the lack of visuals every time that boy closed his eyes. It was complete loss of input when he was unconscious. On that note, goddamn that imbecilic…whatever he was! How dare he HELP the boy. Yes. That little green freak would have to be disposed of. Professor Membrane smiled darkly. It wouldn't do him any good to get so angry. That boy would soon be dead anyways. Simply a shame more data couldn't be collected. He leaned back and watched the other monitors awaiting the signal's comeback…that is, if it ever did.

…If Zim didn't fail…


	7. Chapter 7

Note stuffs Gasp! This one actually isn't a total cliffhanger! 3 And thank you, everyone who's reviewed so far. I'm very appreciative. Please dont feel offended if I havent responded to any of them. Now, on with the action stuff.

Okay. So moving Dib to an operating table was a little harder than Zim had planned on when he knocked him out. But! He managed because he was ZIM and that was that. (Well…the drones he had lying around helped too but that was against the point.) The Irken shoved his hands into the surgical glove dispenser. He certainly wasn't stupid enough to cover his hands in blood that came from a creature composed of mostly water. Zim didn't wear a mask, as sterility simply wasn't a question in the germaphobic alien's medical bay.

Alright. He mentally braced himself as he stared at the prone Dib's face. He removed the human's glasses and handed them to a waiting robotic attendant. Zim moved around so he could properly cut open the boy's head. He shuddered. It'd be better to disassociate himself in order to perform the procedure. The last thing he needed was tormenting thoughts of how he could accidentally destroy his…whatever Dib was to him now. The alien reached over to grab the flashlight he had stolen from Dib a few years back (the same Dib had, in turn, taken from his father) and flicked it on. Nifty little piece of tech. Zim shone it on the human's head and was able to see through the flesh and bone exterior of his head all the way to his brain. Now the boy had said something about a chip…nothing. He saw absolutely nothing. The Irken ran the light over the human's skull again. Nothing, nothing noth-wait. He moved the light over the last few inches he had just checked. A microchip was sitting on the brain; thin receptors spidering out from it to different parts of the cerebrum. But, what was that? What looked to be a smaller version of the chip was close to it, only this one seemed to be…attacking was the closest term Zim could give. It sent out what he assumed to be electric impulses systematically. The alien examined the surface of the brain again and, sure enough, discovered more of the same nanocreatures. His hand gripped the light so tight it might have broken. That…that! He couldn't come up with a word in either Irken or English to fully describe just what he thought of Professor Membrane. Mentally, Zim shook himself. Getting angry would only postpone the removal of the attackers and he wanted to get this whole thing over with. Using the light, he went around and counted each and every little electronic killer. Ten. With grim determination, the irken grabbed a surgical blade form the waiting panel and made the first incision to map out exactly where he would be going in.

Cold, mechanical, methodical, movements made short work of using a small saw to penetrate the skull and Zim forced himself to, once again, clear his mind of every thing that did not pertain to the matter at hand. The unfeeling logic every Irken carries with them from birth now told Zim that if he ever wanted to disable every attacker in the human's brain, he would first have to remove and destroy the motherboard in the main chip. And there it was; little receptors and everything. With forceps in hand, Zim made his move. Metal grabbed metal and pulled gently. The damn chip snagged on it's receptors and he instantly stopped tugging. Zim narrowed his eyes, thinking hard. If he pulled too hard and damaged the tissue somehow, the human's senses would be decimated. Blind, deaf, and horribly disconnected from the physical world was what awaited the human if Zim messed up. But! If he peeled away each receptor from the different areas, the motherboard should detach easier. The Irken bit his tongue and with extreme concentration he used the forceps to, one by one, lift the receptors. This seemingly simple task was complicated by the fact that he had to then hold the thing up and, with a pair of surgical scissors, sever the wires that connected each one with the main chip. When he was certain that every receptor was disposed of, Zim moved in on the main one. This time, when metal met metal the forceps easily pulled the chip out. Safely removed, Zim paused in his work to crush the motherboard in his hands slick with the human's blood and watch as the pieces fell to the floor.

The extra-terrestrial reexamined the nanocreatures still attached to the brain. With the flashlight he located one and observed it's activity or lack thereof. No impulse was being sent out to destroy the boy's nervous system anymore. Grim satisfaction was all Zim allowed himself to feel. He still had, as he forcefully reminded himself, to remove the menaces and he had about twelve minutes to do so. The electronic chart he had to monitor the human's stats was telling him that the analgesic he had administered was wearing off. The removal of the main chip had taken longer than planned and now he would have to rush the removal of the minichips.

The smaller forceps clattered to the floor when Zim, hands still covered in blood, moved to grab them. A string of angry and frustrated curses exploded out of his mouth and he ripped off the gloves he was wearing. When the latex like material snapped and splattered his face with blood he ignored the slight burn. Instead he dragged on a new pair sans robotic assistance and returned to his work. That stupid outburst had cost him precious minutes. Grinding his teeth together he moved in on the three chips attached to what the screen was calling the visual cortex. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he gently removed each one. When the last of those three where detached, Zim released the breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding. Three down, seven to go. Next up, the one designed to stack the center of human hearing, smell, and taste. Those too removed relatively well, but only five minutes remained before the anesthetic wore off and the boy regained consciousness. There were also still four nanocreatures responsible for the pain Di-the human had experienced. The ones attached to the part of the brain responsible for the sense of touch and pressure would have to be removed quickly. Zim increased his pace and finished retrieving the last attacker with only a minute and fifteen seconds to go. Gnawing on his bottom lip with desperate concentration he quickly applied a strong adhesive gel designed for medical purposes and used it to fuse the skull and then the skin back together. Three, two, one…

One by one Professor Membrane watched the signals die. Visual, auditory, each and every one of them. His face twisted with his sick grin as he assumed it was a sign that that boy had died and his brain had shut itself down section by section. So the little freak had failed then. Fantastic. Membrane stood and initiated the shut down sequence for the equipment then made sure to retrieve the data printouts from the experiment. Humming the death march to himself he exited his labs, as if it wasn't a human he had just killed, but an inconsequential rat. And sadly, in his mind that's all Dib seemed to be. He had no worries about someone possibly checking into the boy's disappearance. It's not like anyone actually cared about him.

Deep in the medical bay, before the first twitch of consciousness could complete itself, a syringe full of glowing painkillers was plunged into the human's neck. A mentally exhausted Irken fell, hard, to the ground after watery knees finally gave out and all the adrenaline left in a rush. He dragged his knees to his chest and released a massive sigh of relief.

Dib, it seemed, would survive.


	8. Chapter 8

A sharp tapping broke through Zim's already shot concentration. It had been two weeks since he'd moved the Dib to his space station. He kept all of the hyperbolic technology up there instead of at his main base and it was that technology he needed to speed up the human's recovery. For two weeks the Irken had paced back and forth in front of the containment tube, fearing that something would go horribly wrong and Dib would die. The massive cylinder that reached the ceiling that once served as a way for the Irken to hold Dib captive until he could figure out a good way to kill him now doubled as a way for the alien menace to save the boy. His pacing slowed as he remembered the smug satisfaction he had gotten from that one capture. Ah, memories.

More tapping sounded; irritated now. Zim stopped in front of the tube and wiped away a layer of condensation that had formed over the surface. What he saw inside made him grin. A fully awake and very bored looking Dib stared straight at him, fingers still rapping against the glass. Zim pressed his face to the glass and stuck his tongue out at Dib, who in response made a rather rude hand gesture. The green alien's grin widened. The human, on the other hand, glared. A rush of bubbles escaped the air mask that was secured around his nose and mouth, in what Zim assumed was a string of human obscenities.

"You don't wake up pretty, do you Dib?" he sneered, hiding his relief that the boy has actually woken up at all. All he got in response was another stream of bubbles and further narrowing of Dib's amber coloured eyes. _Geez_, he thought to himself as he began to initiate the emptying sequence, _he could at least be grateful he's even alive_. Granted, Zim wasn't sure that he himself would be too thrilled to wake up in what was once considered a prison. He hit the last code into the computer and watched as the thick pink liquid drained out of the tube. Dib tried to stand when his feet finally touched the ground, but after two weeks of inactivity, his legs gave out and he landed on the floor. Zim chuckled and pressed the release button that slid the tube into the ceiling. Amber eyes shot daggers at him when he leaned over to press the release on the air mask as well. The minute it was removed Dib grabbed the front of Zim's shirt and pulled him down into the remaining pink residue for a breathtaking kiss. After a moment the human pulled away, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Jerk."

Zim stared at him for the briefest of moments then responded with a very snobbish "Well at least I don't have bad breath. You know, I was going to help you up but now I think I'll just-" He was half standing when he was again tugged down to meet Dib's mouth. When they broke apart for the second time both were smiling. The irken helped Dib to his feet and tossed him the equivalent of a space blanket when he noticed the shivers that swept over the human's body. The black pants Dib wore that were soaked from the fluid hung low on his hips, clinging to his legs as he walked over to where Zim was. They hadn't recovered his shirt either, so his torso was fully exposed and his feet bare. The Irken forced himself to look away. Way too tempting he thought, fingers itching to trace the scars that riddled the human boy's chest and waist. Zim swallowed hard and moved to stand in front of the window that gave a spectacular view of Earth.

A startled noise escaped Zim when Dib wrapped his arms around the alien from behind and buried his face into the soft green skin on his neck. He felt the vibrations against his skin when Dib murmured, but didn't understand what he said until the human lifted his head and repeated himself. "Don't insult me by thanking me for saving you, Dib. I didn't do it so you'd "owe me" or anything." He stepped away from his once arch nemesis and turned to face him, his expression grim.

"So tell me. How much do you care about your father?"

At 11:30 pm, two days after Dib awoke; Professor Membrane stepped out of his labs and walked towards his car, thinking about the experiment he had running at his home. He didn't make it that far. A terrifying shadow extended on metal appendages and with glittering red eyes stopped him before he could reach the automobile. Membrane backed up as the figure moved closer towards him, feeling a slight edge of panic. All he could see were the ends of the sharp metal legs when they came in contact with light from a streetlamp. Then the creature moved into full light and the man realized who it was. He stopped in his retreat and straightened. Underestimating Zim, he walked past him, completely sure that the "green freak" could do nothing to harm him. He was, after all, the Professor Membrane. Zim's eyes narrowed into slits as he watched the scientist dismiss him with a condescending glance. His spider legs lowered him to the ground as he waited for the moment when the Professor would turn to face him. There! An appendage shot out and with its sharp metal end, impaled Membrane through the right shoulder, pinning him to the car. Blood seeped around the edges of the wound and using a second leg, the Irken pinned the left shoulder to the car in the same fashion. When his face was inches from Professor Membrane's he let his face split into a deranged, bloodthirsty, smile and he tore the goggles off. His cold eyes never left Membrane's panicked ones, not even when he slid the edge of the needle into the man's neck, rendering him unconscious. He'd been needing anew specimen to torture.


	9. Chapter 9

Notey Stuffs: Hey look! Last chapter of The Hell. But not necessarily the end of the story. There should be a part two being written, if I ever get my lazy ass motivated. Sorry this one took so long to get posted. I forgot that there was a Chapter Nine. Whoops. Anyways, enjoy.

"So, Professor," Zim ducked down to meet Membrane's eyes. "How does it feel to know that you're going to be the one experimented on? Also, do you have anything to say for yourself in the case of the atrocities you visited upon your beloved son? Do speak." There was no reply. Not that Professor Membrane could have made one had he'd been so inclined, as there was the irken form of duct tape over his mouth. The man was on his knees, hands also duct taped, being restrained by mechanical arms that Zim had installed in the floor for just that purpose. They were in one of the lower rooms in the alien ground base, one designed for torture. There was the customary operating table, the array of surgical supplies, as well as several things the Zim had picked up from Squee's creepy neighbor.

The invader continued to stare in his captive's eyes a moment longer before straightening. "Nothing?" His fingers formed a steeple. "No answer, no defense for your cause? I suppose we might as well start on the tests then. I think we'll start with the chemical burning…" Membrane grunted against the tape. Zim looked at him and his voice all but dripped with false concern. "Oh. Silly me. I left the tape on, didn't I? That must be such a bother. Here, let me help you." He pulled a scalpel off a try and sliced it across the tape, ignoring the human's sound of pain as he cut into his lips. The executioner wiped the blade clean on the Professor's clothes. "Now," he said, looking down on his prey. "You do know why you're here, yes?" There was an almost imperceptible nod of the head. Zim again crouched to meet the Professor's eyes and to cruelly rip the remainder of the tape of his mouth. "I must know. Do you regret what you did to Dib? Is there any remorse in you at all?" Silence. Membrane attempted to turn his head away from the alien, but Zim dug his claws into the man's face, forcing him to look at him. "You see, human," The word lost all of the affection it normally held when Zim addressed Dib and became one of the greatest of insults, "the boy you killed, your _son_, was important to me. It was pure hell trying to save him from what you did. All I want to know is if you repent. Surely you can give me that much."

Professor Membrane glared at Zim then smiled. "So the boy is dead then? Good." He moved quick, snapping his head around to bite down on the Irken's hand as hard as he could. Zim's response was faster. Before Membrane could blink there was a high powered laser gun pressing into his temple and the now standing Zim's finger was putting pressure on the trigger.

"Zim! Wait!" Dib emerged from the shadows as Zim froze. He didn't stay frozen for long however. He smacked Membrane with the gun to release his hand then laughed at the human's expression of outraged disbelief. "Oh apologies, Professor. I forgot that I did manage to save Dib. Whoops."

Dib himself leaned against a wall only five feet from his father's place on the floor and studied the emotions that flitted across the man's face. Rage, fear, disbelief, condescension, more anger. No remorse, no true human emotion. The baleful glare that was being shot his way only reinforced the idea that his father really did hate him. The boy slumped a little and moved to crouch in front of his dad to ask one important question. "Why?"

Membrane's response was to spit in Dib's face. The boy rocked backwards, scrubbing at his skin, while an irate Irken smacked the man as hard as he could. After he recovered slightly from being hit with the flat of the gun, Membrane answered Dib's question in cold, blunt words that cut into the boy like blades. "Why? Because I hate you, that's why. Despise just looking at you. You are a constant reminder of my failure to create the perfect human being. Oh sure," he spit out, "You're intelligent enough. How could you not be? Smarter than even me." His face twisted into a snarl and Dib scooted backwards to get away from him. The boy wanted more than anything to cover his ears, but still needing to hear an explanation. "No, the problem with you, _son_, is that you're a social failure. A human failure. You lack every attribute you need to be a productive member of the human race. You're an embarrassment to me and the world. Even my colleagues noticed your deficiency. They'd all smile to my face but the minute I turned my back they'd snicker. 'Oh there goes Membrane and his insane son!' You took every bit of the intelligence I gave you and applied it to such stupid studies that made a mockery of real science. You didn't deserve to live, just like your whore of a mother."

Dib's entire body tensed at those words. Mom had been sick…hadn't she? The overhead lights flashed across his sunglasses as he pushed them up his nose to hide his eyes. Professor Membrane continued to rant, ignoring his son, "Yes, my darling son." Zim ground his teeth to resist killing the man right then and there. Sarcastic bastard. "I killed your mother as well. She cheated on me with a coworker and I just _happened_ to have a newly discovered element I wanted to test on someone. Who knew it was so radioactive that when I put some into her food that it would kill her in less than six months?" Membrane grinned, looking deranged. "My mistake. But I had forgotten two things. You and that little brat you call a sister. But, I had hopes you would turn out like me. I was wrong in the end. You were supposed to die. Then Gaz would die next from a sudden…heart attack. She certainly eats enough junk foo-". Membrane was cut off by the crack of Dib's fist against his jaw, effectively breaking it. The pale boy stood, shaking from fury and disgust; his hands still clenched into fists.

"You know what, Dad?" He drawled out the word, voice surprisingly cool. "I think I've heard enough. Zim." The irken moved to stand near his recently acquired friend. "Yeah?"

"Do whatever you want to him. Shoot him, cut him open, whatever. Just kill him." With that, he spun and stalked out of the room.

Zim watched him go, knowing there was more hurt than hate in those words and despising Membrane all the more for it. He rounded on his captive, eyes sparkling with anger. Without a word he released the human only to haul him, using the strength he rarely pulled out, over to the operating table. The table automatically restrained the human which was good as Zim was busy hooking Professor Membrane up to a machine that would keep him awake and alert no matter how much damage his body endured. That is unless he died, of course. He paused for a mere second to pull on latex gloves then with a grin began his work. The alien cut open the professor's clothes so his torso was exposed. He then, using the same scalpel as before, began to trace designs into the soft human skin. When he sensed that the tip was resting on a rather sensitive area, such as the stomach, he plunged the blade into the flesh. He then began to peel the layers of skin and tissue away with an extremely sharp blade that looked a lot like a filet knife. Blood spurted everywhere, even more so when he accidentally nicked a vein. Inch by inch, Zim skinned Membrane, enjoying the sounds of intense pain. Looking down at the mangled wound that was the man's chest, he had an idea. A bottle of everyday earth salt water he once fancied using on Tak or someone was still around. He dumped its contents onto Professor Membrane and laughed as the man screamed. Mere cutting was becoming boring though, and there was blood everywhere. Time to pull out the liquid nitrogen. Membrane's eyes widened when he saw the label, knowing what was coming.

First it was his hands. They froze within seconds and Zim took a pipe to them, sending shards of brittle bone, flesh and blood, everywhere. The pain was intolerable for the human once the appendages began to thaw. He writhed on the table, screaming as fast as he could draw breath every time the pipe came down to shatter another part of his body. But still, he couldn't pass out and the freezing effect of the nitrogen prevented him from bleeding to death. Salty tears left burning trails down his face, where the skin on his cheeks had been carved off. He watched as Zim stepped back to survey the damage. Then, as if in slow motion, he watched the alien turn the hose to his face, moments before he felt the cold enclose his head. Eye's frozen open he watched as the pipe descended.

Dib found Zim later. The alien was crying and dry heaving in a corner, as far away from the remains of Professor Membrane as he could get in the room. The boy picked up his friend with little issue and carried him upstairs, not once looking back at the bloody chunk of meat that his father had been reduced to.


End file.
